Former Penn State Defensive Coordinator Brent Pry Hired as Head Coach of Virginia Tech

Story posted November 30, 2021 in

Penn State loses a big part of its coaching staff as former defensive coordinator Brent Pry has been hired to be the 35th head coach in Virginia Tech history.

Pry has served as the defensive coordinator for the Nittany Lions since the 2016 season and first joined the team’s coaching staff back in 2014 after following head coach James Franklin from Vanderbilt.

Since his arrival, Pry has built the Penn State defense into one of the best in the country as it finished No. 7 in total yards this season.

Throughout his tenure at Penn State, Pry has helped several star defensive players for the blue and white get selected in the NFL Draft.

Players such as Amani Oruwariye, Yetur Gross-Matos and most recently Micah Parsons all turned pro during Pry’s time as Penn State’s defensive coordinator.

Pry will join a Virginia Tech team coming off a 6-6 record this season which was good enough for fourth in the coastal division in the ACC.

The Hokies had just recently moved on from head coach Justin Fuente during the 2021 season which ended his five year run with the team which included him being named the ACC Coach of the Year back in 2017.

Interim head coach J.C Price finished the season following Fuente’s firing and holds a 1-1 record as he helped the Hokies defeat rival Virginia to become bowl eligible.

This won’t be Pry’s first time in Blacksburg, however as from 1995 to 1997, he served as a graduate assistant towards the start of his coaching career ironically working under Price during that time.

The loss of Pry will prove to be a big one for Penn State as the Nittany Lions have consistently had one of the best defenses in college football during his tenure.

During the timespan Pry spent as the teams defensive coordinator, Penn State ranks highly in many defensive categories including finishing fourth in sacks and pressures generated, third in quarterback hurries and ninth in fewest rushing yards per attempt.

It still remains unclear whether or not Pry will coach in Penn State’s bowl game and who the Nittany Lions interim defensive coordinator would be should Pry choose to go straight to Blacksburg.

 

Logan Bourandas is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email lxb5412@psu.edu.